3 Unconventional Ways to Super-Charge Your Savings.
This is a link to a post on a blog I follow. The blog is by Paula Pant and is called Afford Anything. Paula is the one who taught us about blogging at the AWAI Boston workshop I went to back in August. She was very helpful to me in getting this blog of mine started.
I am always trying to find ways to save money. My goal is to save enough so I can ‘retire’. I want to move overseas somewhere. Somewhere I can afford to live the way I want to. Somewhere more affordable. Somewhere more free (since we have lost SO much freedom here in the USA). 🙁
So I’m always looking for ways to save more money, earn more money, etc. That would help move me further toward my goal. Paula has some good suggestions in her post. I love it that she always encourages us to think outside the box.
I’m not really into budgeting so I agree that putting saving first is a great idea. A lot of financial advisers say the same thing.
If you’re lucky enough to have a 401-K, put at least enough to get the company match in there. It might not be enough to retire on, but it’s a good start. Since you never see it in your checkbook, you’ll never miss it. I always sign up first thing at a new job now. 🙂
Maybe some of you are good at saving? I have to admit, I’m not that great at it. I try and I manage to save a little, but not enough to get me where I want to be. I don’t spend much on clothes, I live in shorts, t-shirts and flip-flops. ALL the time. 😉
I spend my income on vacations. I LOVE to travel. I go somewhere interesting EVERY chance I get! I try to go someplace where there is something in particular I want to learn about. For example, I went to the Freedom Fest in Las Vegas, the AWAI workshops in Chicago, Miami and Boston, the Live and Invest Overseas with International Living in the Rivera Maya Mexico, the Workboat Show in New Orleans.
I took all those trips in the last couple of years. I didn’t spend a TON of money, but it didn’t help my savings plan at all either. 😉
So, according to Paula I need to ‘earn more’!
I’m trying!! OK, to be honest, I hope to find some way to earn some money from this blog. I’m hoping to get my writing and photography out there to the world. Maybe someone will like it enough to be willing to buy some of it from me. 🙂
I’m also doing the same thing Paula is doing with real estate. Very similar at least. I started buying old houses and fixing them up to rent out a few years ago. I like the whole process of hunting down a good deal, improving on what was there, and then meeting all the interesting people that I have to deal with. From the technicians to the tenants, they’re ALL interesting. 😉
I’m glad to learn from Paula that I’m on the right track. She’s been very successful at living her life the way she’s dreamed. I hope to be able to break free and live MY dreams too one of these days. 🙂
Hi Capt Jill,
I also follow Afford Anything.com. We are the same. I’ve traveled quite a bit and am about to go to Vietnam soon 🙂 One thing I’ve noticed is while other people have fancy cars that they are oh so thrilled about…I have exotic vacations. For the cost of one two week trip it could be a car payment. Well just got a new car which I don’t really want anymore. I’m going to try to pay down my negative equity so that I can concentrate on early retirement and travel more (which I love). I’m not a car enthusiast, I don’t need a fancy car. I have traveled more than the average American and for that I’m truly grateful. On another note you might also enjoy a site called Raptitude. Hope for the best, it seems you are on the right track. Eventually “the form” will develop from all the functions you are conducting. Thanks for the awesome post. I also see roommates and real estate in my future.
Thanks for the comment! I am also hoping to go to Vietnam sometime soon. It looks awesome. I also love to travel and I go someplace away from home every chance I get. I am doing the same as you. I paid off my house in 7.5 years with the help of a couple of room-mates. I don’t have any at the moment, but that’s only because I don’t know anyone looking for a place and I’m not comfortable with letting total strangers move in when I’ll be leaving for months at a time and leaving them there with all my stuff by themselves. IF I got to know them beforehand, that’s a different story.
Anyway, I paid off my house and now I pay down my rental properties with any extra money. I am paying them all off early as much as I can. I am hoping to get them all paid off (and repairs made). Then I can use that income to move permanently out of the USA.
I may or may not stay in one place forever, but I want options. I don’t have them if I stay where I’m at now.
Good luck to you with your plans. Maybe we’ll wind up in Vietnam at some point. 😉
Capt Jill,
Paying yourself first, Creating a blog, Rental income. I agree all those can be great ways for us to get toward our goal. Everything you mentioned in your response I have to say I agree wholeheartedly. It is difficult to meet people who share the same views about financial independence as we do. That is the sole purpose why I created my site, to connect with other like minded people and keep accountable. I also like the concept of renting out homes as it is easier to access the cash vs pulling from a nest egg by way of our 401k’s.
Vietnam was amazing and enchanting. I would highly recommend you going and the food is awesome. Just stay away from the dog, rat and snake and you should be ok 😀 If you like you can click on my avatar link and see my post about my experience in Vietnam.
While there I also meet the #1 blogger in Vietnam. So as you are growing this site you may consider making a video blog like he does via youtube. He teaches English there so I was glad to pick his brain about that as I believe I will do that in the future as well. Since your blog is financial, political and travel oriented you could possibly have 3 youtube channels whereby you could discuss your takes on different topics 😀 All could generate traffic to this blog and some cash. Small in the beginning but it can grow along with your readership.
Also I have 3 sites as my first endeavor to break out of the US was to pursue creating money via the online web. I have not had success with it yet but after paying a website designer to make one (approx $750), I then bought a theme that makes it very easy to create your own sites. I bought a theme via woothemes it is called Canvas. For $100 I created two sites all by myself and can create unlimited sites using that software I downloaded from their site. So in all since last year although I splurged a ton of money, I finally learned how to build and manage my own websites !!!!
Capt Jill, I thank you for responding and I hope you find this information helpful. I hope the best for yourself and your future adventures.